AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) A new bill in Maine is advocating for the state to create a public-private partnership to send small satellites into space and allow the state to join in an increasingly competitive space race.
Lawmakers like co-sponsor of the bill, Sen. Mattie Daughtry of Brunswick, would create Maine Space Port Corp. The company would build rocket launch sites at former military bases, develop technology based on the data collected and support operations for satellite launches, The Portland Press Herald reported Wednesday.
The bill’s supporters said that it could provide new revenue to the state, create jobs in the technology sector and give Maine a competitive edge in the space race against other communities in the U.S. and Canada.
Terry Shehata, executive director of the Maine Space Grant Consortium said that an analysis estimated that by 2030, the aerospace industry could annually increase Maine’s gross domestic product by $1 billion to $1.5 billion.
Maine Space Port Corp. would be made up of 15 board members, nine appointed by the governor and six from various state universities and public and private organizations, the newspaper said.
